The major focus of ongoing research in my laboratory concerns the analysis of genes that may play a crucial role in the progression of human malignant melanoma and its precursor lesions. An important aspect of these studies is to determine the function(s) of growth factors and growth factor receptors upon inhibition of their expression via addition of sense and antisense oligonucleotides to the culture of melanocytes, nevi and melanomas. To be able to generate sequence-specific sense and antisense oligomers directed against the translation start site and/or splice donor-acceptor sites of the various growth factor receptors and their ligands, it is essential that I will have access to DNA sequences in the genbank/EMBL data bank.